Monday, 16 April 2012

ARTISTS' SUPPLIES, CITY

This Artists' Supplies shop in Little La Trobe St in the City has an interesting façade, which is in keeping with its merchandise. I love shopping here and the shop has an immense range of supplies on the ground and first floor. Even when I don;t buy things there, I love to browse and talk to the staff about paints, paper, canvas, pencils, etc.

The detail of the mural shows several renderings of Ned Kelly, the famous bushranger of the 19th century. Edward "Ned" Kelly (June 1854/June 1855 – 11 November 1880) was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class. Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish convict father, and as a young man he clashed with the Victoria Police. Following an incident at his home in 1878, police parties searched for him in the bush. After he killed three policemen, the colony proclaimed Kelly and his gang wanted outlaws. A final violent confrontation with police took place at Glenrowan on 28 June 1880. Kelly, dressed in home-made plate metal armour and helmet (see him in his full armour at the extreme right? It's the man wiht a bucket on his head :-), was captured and sent to jail. He was convicted of three counts of capital murder and hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol in November 1880. His daring and notoriety made him an iconic figure in Australian history, folklore, literature, art and film.